There are few of us who haven’t gazed upon the profile in a Vogue magazine ad, or even a classic Audrey Hepburn or Barbra Streisand film and not briefly coveted that razor sharp jawline. Unfortunately, for most of us, a jawline that chiseled exists only in the prime of youth, if we are truly blessed by genetics, or both.

One of the most common areas patients seek out our expertise to improve is the area of the jowls, submental (beneath the chin) and neck region. Most people are bothered by some combination of five things in this area:

1) Skin quality. This is thinner skin, which we have often not protected well from the sun. This can result in brown spots, red/wavy texture (Poikiloderma of Civatte) and thinner, crepy texture. We offer a wide range of laser options and Dr. Gelber lectures other medical professionals on the fine points of how to obtain the best results in this region. 2) Fat deposits. Some people are genetically prone to accumulate fat in this area. Removal of even small amounts of fat, either under local anesthetic or with a medication which dissolves this can dramatically improve the appearance of this area. 3) Muscular bands. For some people, especially those who are quite slender or athletic, bands of muscle can protrude or “pop” out, causing the profile to appear less smooth than is desired. These platysmal bands can easily and safely be treated with a medication which relaxes muscles, such as Botox or Xeomin. 4) Laxity. After a certain age, almost everyone finds that the skin in this area is not as taut and elastic. There are a range of safe techniques that can help tighten up this area and for many, help delay or avert more extreme surgical procedures. 5) Volume loss: As we lose volume under the SMAS (the band that plastic surgeons cut in a face lift - often giving that pulled or windswept look) this starts to sag and we see jowling and loose skin under the jawline. We are the only office on the west coast trained to do deep fillers beneath this layer, which can dramatically improve the jawline, jowls and even the area under the chin.

The Y-Lift has become a procedure of significant interest with episodes on The Doctors, Dr. Oz and many other TV shows. The technique can only be learned by training one-on-one with the developer of the technique, Dr. Yan Trokel. Unfortunately, many physicians don't want to invest the requisite time and money into the training, and are simply mislabeling traditional filler treatments as 'Y-lifts". The Y-Lift is not simply putting filler around the cheeks and jaws, but rather a very challenging technique using different methods. It is the only nonsurgical way to obtain lifting in the jawline and area under the chin as shown in Dr. Gelber's own before and afters.

Protect yourself. if someone is telling you that they are doing this technique, be sure they are certified as a true Y lift provider (See provider list here). Note that Dr. Trokel does not certify nurses to perform Y-Lifts.

Improving the area under the chin leaves us with many of our happiest patients, so if you have been considering improvements to the area, please contact us for a consult at office@tahoeaestheticmedicine.com or (775) 298-1750.